Good Dirt
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Summary
Brought to you by Penguin.
Ebby Freeman travels to France to take a three-month hiatus from her complicated home life, the last person she expects to find is her ex-fiancé Henry, with his new girlfriend in tow.
Praise for Charmaine Wilkerson and Black Cake:
'Completely blew me away'
Red
'Unputdownable. Astonishing. Twists and turns so shocking they will leave your head spinning and your heart aching'
Grazia
'You can't help but fall in love with this book'
Stylist
'A novelist to watch'
Independent
'Beautiful, deeply resonant . . . A story that is as meaningful as it is delicious'
Taylor Jenkins Reid, bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
'A rich, complex and really satisfying novel'
Alison Finch, BBC Radio 4
'A delicious and gripping tale that sweeps the reader across decades and continents'
Guardian
'A book that is both universal and unique.'
Afua Hirsch, bestselling author of Brit(ish)
'This novel has a tremendous heart at its centre, and I felt its beat on every page. What an extraordinary debut'
Mary Beth Keane, bestselling author of Ask Again, Yes
© Charmaine Wilkerson 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025
Ebby Freeman travels to France to take a three-month hiatus from her complicated home life, the last person she expects to find is her ex-fiancé Henry, with his new girlfriend in tow.
Nearly twenty years earlier, the Freemans were the only African American family living in a wealthy coastal enclave in Connecticut when armed robbers invaded their family home and tragedy changed their lives forever. Then, just as Ebby thought she had a new chance at happiness, her storybook romance with Henry fell apart.
Now, this unexpected encounter with Henry will force Ebby to reckon with her past and to think on the other loss her family suffered that day – the destruction of a beloved stoneware jar crafted by an enslaved ancestor and passed down through the generations. A piece that might hold not only her family history, but also the key to reclaiming her future.
Praise for Charmaine Wilkerson and Black Cake:
'Completely blew me away'
Red
'Unputdownable. Astonishing. Twists and turns so shocking they will leave your head spinning and your heart aching'
Grazia
'You can't help but fall in love with this book'
Stylist
'A novelist to watch'
Independent
'Beautiful, deeply resonant . . . A story that is as meaningful as it is delicious'
Taylor Jenkins Reid, bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
'A rich, complex and really satisfying novel'
Alison Finch, BBC Radio 4
'A delicious and gripping tale that sweeps the reader across decades and continents'
Guardian
'A book that is both universal and unique.'
Afua Hirsch, bestselling author of Brit(ish)
'This novel has a tremendous heart at its centre, and I felt its beat on every page. What an extraordinary debut'
Mary Beth Keane, bestselling author of Ask Again, Yes
© Charmaine Wilkerson 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025
Reviews
A remarkable exploration of family bonds, grief, heartbreak, friendship, and the deep scars of slavery and racism... Wilkerson’s prose is succinct yet richly evocative, masterfully delving into the minds and motivations of her characters and delivering a narrative that lingers long after the final page... This novel solidifies Wilkerson's place as one of the great multi-generational storytellers of our time.
Abi Daré, bestselling author of The Girl with the Louding Voice
